Electromagnetic transmission



Jan. 27, 1942. MMER a 2,271,087

ELECTROMAGNETIC TRANSMISSION Filed NOV. 4, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l wl'rNEss Af'roRNEYs Jan. 27, 1942. H. K. MAIER f 2,271,037

ELECTROMAGNETIC TRANSMISSION Filed NOV. 4, 1940 Z Sh e ets-Sheet 2 WITNES- Patented he. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES-- PATENT 1 OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an electro-magnetic tron andhasfor anobiectto provide a.

device of thischara'cter which may be substituted for the conventional fly wheel clutch and transmission of a motor vehicle and which will 5 afiord greater flexibility than conventional transmissions as well as reduce'vibration to a minimum. W

A further obiectis to provide apparatus of this type in which a direct current rotating multil a pole field produca a rotating field in an induction rotor to produce a variable torque which is controlled by the field strength and the amount of slip of the rotor.

Aiurther object is to provide apparatus of this 1 character which will be formed of a few strong,

simple and durable parts. which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily set out of order.

With ,the above andother objects in view the 2 invention consists of certain novel details of'construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims with- 2 out departing from the spirit or any of the advantages of the invention.

In the' accompanying drawings forming a part v of this specification: 3

Figure l is alongltudinal sectional view of an 0 electro magneflc on constructedin accordance with the invention. a

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the 35 electrical connections of the n 1 Referringnow to the drawings in whichwlike characters =of reference designate similar parts I in 'the various views, 10 designates a power driviacent end poleson each side of the pole pieces will be of opposite polarity, as best shown in Figure 3. I

A direct current disk armature is mounted on the power driving shaft III to confront the ends of the pole pieces next to the engine shaft II and comprises a disk having a hub 2| through which the power driving shaft. I0 loosely projects. The disk is secured stationary to the end plate 22 of the engine housing by screw bolts 23, or other connectors, on which are disposed spacers 24 to space the armature from the end plate 22. n

An annular series of armature coils 25 are secured stationary to the'disk 20 by screw bolts 26, or other connectors, and confront the rotatable pole pieces it so that during rotation of the field coils current will be generated in the armsture coils and corrected by acommutator to produce direct current for exciting the field coils as will now be described. v p

A stationary commutator 21 is mounted on the hub 2| of the direct current disk armature and is insulated from the him by aninsulating ring 28. Conductor wires 2! and "connect the armature segments with the armature coils 25.

The exciting current for the rotating field coils I! is taken from the stationary armature by brushes ii and 32 which are mounted in suitable brushholders 33 and 34 carried by and insulated from the non-magnetic" disk IS. The

brush 82 is connected to one end of thefleld coil circuit bya conductor wire 35.. A conductor wire 38 connects the other end of the field coil circuit with a slip ring 31 disposed upon and insulated from a hub 39 which is formed integral with the non-magnetic disk l5, co-axial with the power driving shaft l0 and which also carries the above mentioned brush holders and 34.

ing shaft which isrigi'dly secured to the internal 40 There are two slip rings, the slip ring 31 just combustion engine shaft H of the motor vehicle by bolts I! through respective flanges i3 and II von the engine shaftll' and'power driving shaft".

Rigidly mounted on the power driving shaft II is a non-magnetic disk I! having a hub 9,

which is keyed to the shaft ll asshown at l'|,.

to rotate as a unit with the shaft. An annular series of double end pole pieces II are secured to i mentioned and a second slip ring "disposed side v by side and insulated from the hub 39. The slip rings effect the carrying of exciting current from the stationary 'direct' current commutator through the rotating brushes 3! and 32 to the field coils l8, one end,of the field circuit, as previously stated, being connected to the brush .32 a

by the conductor wire 35, while the other end of thefield circuit is connected by the conductor the disk concentric with the shaft II by screws 5o 38 to the slipring 31. A stationary brush holder II, or. other connectors, passed through the disk and intothe pole' pieces. About each pole piece is woundasuitable coil ll. Thefieldcoils "are 7 connected in series in such}; manner thatwhen.

a direct currentis adll is secured to and insulated from the direct current disk armature 2| and carries a brush 4| second binding post 44, a rheostat I is connected. The binding post 44 is connected by a conductor wire 48 to a brush holder 41 which carries a brush 48 which bears upon the slip ring II. The slip ring 38 is electricallyconnected to the brush 3| which rides on the commutator by a metallic conductor clip 49.

The exciting circuit through the rotary field coils 19 from the stationary direct armature coils may be traced as follows, from the pointer of the rheostat to the binding post 43, conductor wire 42, brush ll, slip ring 31, conductor 38, rotary field coils i9, conductor to the brush 32 on one side of the commutator, brush 3| on the other side of the commutator, metal conductor clip 48, slip ring 38, brush 48, conductor wire 46, and binding post ll to the other side of the rheostat.

The purpose of the rheostat which, as described, is shunted across the slip rings 31 and 38, is to throw a pre-determined resistance into the field coils to vary the magnetic strength of the field. The rheostat is used only to balance the torque required by the driven load, with power developed by the driving motor.

A squirrel cage induction rotor is free to turn on the power driving shaft in and confronts the rotary field poles on the opposite side from the stationary direct current disk armature. The squirrel cage induction rotor comprises a disk having a hub 5! which is recessed as shown at 52 to loosely receive the end of the power driving shaft Ill. The hub'is integrally connected with a conventional universal joint 53 which rotates as a unit with the rotor and is connected to the propeller shaft of the motor. Bars 54 are disposed radlally on the inner face of the disk concentric with the power driving shaft I0 and are connected at their inner and outer ends by short circulting rings 55 and 56, thus forming the well known squirrel cage commonly used as a secondary winding for an induction motor.

The hub 5| of the rotor is journaled in a hearing 51 carried by the upper member 58 of a two piece housing, the upper member and the lower member 59 of the housing being connected to the end plate 22 of the internal combustion engine by bolts 60 and El, or other connectors.

The rotating field coils l9 produce a rotating field in the induction rotor which effects a variable torque proportionate to the field strength, the greater the strength of the field, the more nearly will the rotation of the rotor approximate the rotation of the field coils driven by the engine shaft III while the weaker the strength of the field, the greater will be the slip between the induction rotor and the rotating field coils.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

Cal

1. An electro-magnetic transmission comprising, a driving shaft adapted to be connected to an engine shaft, an annular series of rotary field electro-magnets fixed to the driving shaft, said annular series being concentric with the shaft and the magnets extending longitudinally of the shaft, pole pieces on both ends of the magnets forming spaced annular series of pole pieces, the magnets being wound to provide adjacent pole pieces of opposite polarity on each annular series of pole pieces, a stationary, direct current disk armature disposed coaxial with the magnets, armature magnets on the disk armature confronting the annular series of the pole pieces on one end of the field magnets, a hub on said disk armature through which the driving shaft loosely projects, a stationary commutator on the hub electrically connected to the armature magnets, rotating brushes carried as a unit with the field magnets engaging the commutator and electrically connected to the field magnets, a rheostat connected in series with the field magnets, a squirrel cage rotor confronting the annular series of pole pieces on the other end of the field magnets, a hub on the rotor forming a bearing for the free end of the driving shaft, a driven shaft connected to the rotor hub for rotation as a unit with the rotor, and a housing adapted to be fixed to the engine and having a hub forming a bearing for the rotor hub.

2. An electro-magnetic transmission compris ing, a driving shaft adapted to be connected to an engine shaft, an annular series of rotary field electro-magnets fixed to the driving shaft, said annular series being concentric with the shaft and the magnets extending'longitudinally of the shaft, pole pieces on both ends of the magnets forming spaced annular series of pole pieces, the magnets being wound to provide adjacent pole pieces of opposite polarity on each annular series of pole pieces, a stationary direct current disk armature disposed coaxial with the magnets, armature magnets on the disk armature confronting the annular series of the pole pieces on one end of the field magnets, a hub on said disk armature through which the driving shaft loosely projects, a stationary commutator on the hub 4 electrically connected to the armature magnets,

a hub fixed to the rotary field magnets concentric with and spaced radially from the commutator, a pair of brushes carried by the hub engaging the commutator, slip rings on the hub, one of the slip rings being electrically connected to one end of the field magnet circuit and to one of the brushes, the other brush being connected to the other end of the field magnet circuit, a rheostat connected across both slip rings to control the magnetic strength of the field, a squirrel cage rotor confronting the annular series of pole pieces on the other end of the magnets, a hub for the rotor forming a bearing for one end of the driving shaft, a driven shaft connected to the rotor hub for rotation as a unit with the rotor, and a housing adapted to be fixed to the engine and having a hub forming a bearing for the rotor hub.

HOWARD K. MAIER. 

